Singer Ofra Haza
died from complications resulting from AIDS. Haza was hospitalized at Tel
Hashomer's Sheba Hospital on February 13 in a critical condition. Nurses
on duty in the emergency ward suspected that she had a cancerous
disease or AIDS because of her low weight. A senior doctor at the hospital
claims that neither Haza herself nor certain members of her family informed
the medical staff that she was infected with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS.

Only on the day after her admission to
the hospital did the results of blood work confirm that Haza was indeed
infected with HIV. Haza was transferred out of the emergency ward to the
respiratory intensive care unit.

As far as senior medical staff at Sheba
know, Haza's death was the result of complications caused by medication
she was receiving for the treatment of the disease, which caused the collapse
of her internal organs and the quick and fatal deterioration of her condition.

Senior officials at the Health Ministry
and at Sheba state that some of the medical and nursing teams who treated
Haza, as well as lab workers, are furious that they were not told of Haza's
infection, putting them at risk, since they did not take the precautionary
steps necessary when dealing with patients suffering from AIDS. Blood samples
taken from AIDS patients, for example, are usually marked "potentially
dangerous material." A senior worker at the hospital's lab says that Haza's
blood was not marked with such stickers until 48 hours after her admission.

Senior Health Ministry managerial staff
and doctors at Sheba, including the heads of departments, confirmed Haza's
disease and the claims of medical staff members that her condition was
kept from them.

Sheba's administration,
however, officially stated, "We refuse to comment on the cause of Ofra
Haza's disease." On the issue of concealing the disease from the staff,
the response was, "No verbal or written complaints have so far been
received by the administration. Every patient's medical file contains all
their information."

High-ranking staff members at Sheba have
told Ha'aretz that the event demands the immediate compilation of clear
standards that would compel patients to fully inform the hospitals of their
medical condition while undergoing treatment, carry out HIV tests on every
patient hospitalized in the emergency ward, and enshrine in law the rights
of doctors and nurses in addition to the rights of patients.

Health Ministry Director-General Professor
Joshua Shemer said that he would investigate the staff's claims, but refused
to confirm the events surrounding Haza's death. Dr. Eran Segel, head of
the respiratory ICU unit where Haza was hospitalized until her death last
Wednesday, would not confirm or deny the cause of Haza's death. The singer
apparently requested Dr. Segel not to reveal her condition.